AS Maniema Union of DR Congo and South Africa's Durban City both booked their places in the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup group stage on Sunday, completing dominant two-legged victories in the second preliminary round.

Maniema Union hammered Angola's Kabuscorp 4-1 in the second leg to advance 8-2 on aggregate — an identical scoreline to their first-leg result away from home. Durban City, meanwhile, dispatched AS Port Louis 2000 3-0 to seal a 6-1 aggregate triumph and claim a historic group-stage berth for the first time in the club's existence.

Maniema Union's ruthless display

The Congolese side wasted no time imposing themselves. Clément Pitroipa broke the deadlock in the 10th minute, and Prince Soussou doubled the advantage in the 37th minute to give Maniema Union a commanding half-time lead.

Kabuscorp responded with a consolation goal, but the visitors' brief glimmer of hope was swiftly extinguished. Souleymane Kane restored the two-goal cushion in the 78th minute, before Andy Junior Magagula rounded off the scoring in the 90th minute to cap another emphatic victory.

The performance underscored Maniema Union's standing as one of the most dangerous sides in the preliminary rounds, combining clinical finishing with relentless attacking intent across both legs.

Durban City make history

Arriving in the second leg with a 3-1 advantage, Durban City left nothing to chance. Gaston Sirino opened the scoring in the 12th minute to extend the South Africans' aggregate lead, and Haashim Domingo made it two in the 25th minute to effectively end any lingering suspense.

Substitute Ethan Brooks added a third in the 52nd minute, completing a polished away display and leaving no doubt about which side deserved to progress.

The result marks a landmark moment for Durban City, who have now qualified for the group stage of a CAF continental competition for the first time. Both clubs enter the next phase with momentum — and a clear statement of intent.